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The Color Love: A Mother’s Choice in the Jim Crow South Audiobook
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(3.12) - 129 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Nine years after Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, and only a year before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a judge in the Forsyth County Courthouse of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, wrenched twelve-year-old Gene Cheek from the security of his mother's devotion. Here is a true story of love in a time afflicted by hatred, ignorance, and racism. At its core, this is a frank account of a love affair between a white woman and a black man that took mother from son and split a family forever. In the early 1960s, the city of Winston-Salem struggled under the strict edicts of segregation, setting the tone of division that would plague Gene Cheek's life. Raised by his alcoholic father and his earnestly loving mother, Gene learned about the power of hatred and the strength of love. Yet when his mother falls in love with Cornelius Tucker, an African-American man, and becomes pregnant with his child, their union is seen as morally and lawfully unfit, forcing the family to choose between the infant and Gene. From a distance of more than forty years, Gene Cheek recounts a life of constant struggle with his biological father. Briefly that tension dissolved with the warm guidance of Cornelius Tucker--but that would soon end. The Color of Love is Gene Cheek's story told in his singularly honest voice. Its sincerity and truth resonate with a plea for tolerance, and the irrevocable nature of the decisions and emotions of modern life. This is a powerful story of love and forgiveness in the context of racial hatred during a tumultuous time in the South. Vanessa Bush American Library Association.
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"I LOVED this book. It is a wonderful account of a young boy and his experiences growing up in the south. I think this book is HIGHLY underrated and it was much better than many of "best sellers" I read last year! A MUST READ! "
— Jlener (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The drama of the custody hearing is heart-wrenching, the outcome chilling.”
— Winterset Madisonian -
“Cheeks write with brutal honesty in this touching autobiographical account.”
— Fayetteville Observer -
“Cheek spins a mesmerizing yarn.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“This is a powerful story of love and forgiveness in the contest of racial hatred during a tumultuous time in the South.”
— Booklist
The Color Love Listener Reviews
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" This was simply told but a powerful story. I was moved by the love of this son and his mother. Set in Winston-Salem. "
— Patty, 12/2/2013 -
" This was an incredibly sad autobiography. The Jim Crow era was such a disgraceful time in our history. "
— Sandra, 9/13/2013 -
" very easy read...good insight on life "back then" and how "color" was a wall to scale and sometimes a cross to bear...wow how relationships have changed and color is beginning ever so slightly to fade to the background...a work in progress.. "
— Thinkthendoit69, 8/21/2013 -
" Read it in one sitting. Engrossing, heart-wrenching true story. "
— Mary, 3/21/2013 -
" The story was heart breaking and gut-wrenching, but the author's sentimentality was sometimes over the top. "
— Amanda, 2/22/2013 -
" This is a really great memoir, very engaging and heartrending. "
— Susan, 2/14/2013 -
" this memoir has a touching and raw quality. While Gene Cheek is certainly no Shakespeare, his writing is so honest and genuine. His story is astonishingly upsetting, yet like the photo on the cover, his version is tender and beautiful. "
— Amanda, 12/11/2012 -
" Interesting story about race relations and perceptions. "
— John, 1/8/2012 -
" Great yet sad look into growing up in the South in the '60s. well written "
— Sam, 9/1/2011 -
" I LOVED this book. It is a wonderful account of a young boy and his experiences growing up in the south. I think this book is HIGHLY underrated and it was much better than many of "best sellers" I read last year! A MUST READ! "
— Jlener, 5/8/2011 -
" This is a really great memoir, very engaging and heartrending. "
— Susan, 1/17/2011 -
" very easy read...good insight on life "back then" and how "color" was a wall to scale and sometimes a cross to bear...wow how relationships have changed and color is beginning ever so slightly to fade to the background...a work in progress.. "
— Thinkthendoit69, 10/11/2010 -
" This was simply told but a powerful story. I was moved by the love of this son and his mother. Set in Winston-Salem. "
— Patty, 10/8/2009 -
" Read it in one sitting. Engrossing, heart-wrenching true story. "
— Mary, 2/22/2009 -
" Interesting story about race relations and perceptions. "
— John, 12/20/2007 -
" this memoir has a touching and raw quality. While Gene Cheek is certainly no Shakespeare, his writing is so honest and genuine. His story is astonishingly upsetting, yet like the photo on the cover, his version is tender and beautiful. "
— Amanda, 5/19/2007
About Gene Cheek
Geen Cheek is a blue-collar son of the South born on Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He has lived an unremarkable life with the exception of his children, grandchildren, and his own peculiar childhood. He lives and works in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Cheek is the author of The Color of Love and coauthor of Butter My Butt and Call Me a Biscuit.